Marcie Jan Bronstein is a visual artist whose work stands on three decades of dedication to hand-painted photo-based art and meditative practices. A symbolist painter, she uses the special qualities inherent to watercolor (bleeding, flowing, layering) to create sensual, playful, diaristic, psychological works. All paintings are created without a sketch, a plan, or a mark of pencil on the paper. And while she always works in series, each work is an improvisation on the theme. Images are discovered and composed completely in the moment, and with watercolor, this means that each mark made has a kind of finality. As with Asian brush painting, mindfulness is key.
A graduate of The Fashion Institute of Technology and Hampshire College, her work has been exhibited, published, and commissioned for thirty years. Bronstein is the author of three books and the creator of a number of large-scale public works. Exhibitions of note are: An invitational, 5 woman show in Milan, Foto Colorate, curated by Lanfranco Colombo (1994); a solo exhibition at Casa Italiana in New York (1994); a solo exhibition at Creative Photographic Arts in Maine (1997); "Parallax Women's Photography (invitational 2012); New England Biennial (invitational 2013); Flash Forward Photo Festival (invitational 2014). From 2014-18, she traveled the world teaching creative watercolor painting to hundreds of passengers on ships. In 2018, her work was selected for the Biennial at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, and she was awarded a residency at the Millay Colony of the Arts. In 2020, a solo exhibition of paintings was on view at the Zillman Art Museum, University of Maine, accompanied by a 58 page catalog.
Since 1996, she has lived and worked in a reconstructed barn on the coast of Maine, with her family and their cat Bacio.
A graduate of The Fashion Institute of Technology and Hampshire College, her work has been exhibited, published, and commissioned for thirty years. Bronstein is the author of three books and the creator of a number of large-scale public works. Exhibitions of note are: An invitational, 5 woman show in Milan, Foto Colorate, curated by Lanfranco Colombo (1994); a solo exhibition at Casa Italiana in New York (1994); a solo exhibition at Creative Photographic Arts in Maine (1997); "Parallax Women's Photography (invitational 2012); New England Biennial (invitational 2013); Flash Forward Photo Festival (invitational 2014). From 2014-18, she traveled the world teaching creative watercolor painting to hundreds of passengers on ships. In 2018, her work was selected for the Biennial at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, and she was awarded a residency at the Millay Colony of the Arts. In 2020, a solo exhibition of paintings was on view at the Zillman Art Museum, University of Maine, accompanied by a 58 page catalog.
Since 1996, she has lived and worked in a reconstructed barn on the coast of Maine, with her family and their cat Bacio.
MARCIE JAN BRONSTEIN . Belfast, Maine USA
EDUCATION
1992 Lorenzo de Medici: Diploma Magister Linguae: Italian language, Florence, Italy
1988 Hampshire College: BFA, Amherst, MA
1986 Fashion Institute of Technology: AAS, Magna Cum Laude, New York, NY
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2020 Zillman Art Museum, University of Maine: "Being Here" (solo show), Bangor, ME
Penobscot Marine Museum: "Penobscot Bay as Muse" (invitational), Searsport, ME
2018 Center for Maine Contemporary Art Biennial Exhibition, (juried) Rockland, ME
2017 The Annex Art Center, (invitational) Castine, ME
2014 Photographic Resource Center: Flash Forward Festival,(invitational) Boston, MA
Slocumb Gallery: “Positive/Negative: Pages”, (juried) Johnson City, TN
2013 New England Photography Biennial, (invitational) Framingham, MA
Aarhus Gallery: “Infinite Horizons”, (invitational) Belfast, ME
2012 Parallax, The Women’s Photography Exhibition , (invitational) Notre Dame U, MD
2009 ME Museum of Photographic Art: Capture: 50 Photographic Artists, Falmouth, ME
2007 Center for Maine Contemporary Art: “Altered Nature” (invitational), Rockport, ME
Elan Fine Arts: gallery artist, Rockport, ME
2006 Photomedia Center: “Illuminating the Negative” (solo), Erie, PA
2005 Elan Fine Arts: gallery artist, Rockport, ME
Blum Gallery, College of the Atlantic: “Portrait/Self Portrait” (juried), Bar Harbor, ME
Center for Maine Contemporary Art: “Winter in Maine” (juried), Rockport, ME
2002 Center for Maine Contemporary Art: “Plugged In” (juried), Rockport, ME
2002 Elements Gallery: gallery artist, Rockland, ME
2001 LSU: “Works On Paper 2001” (prize Winner- juried), Baton Rouge, LA
1999 Elements Gallery "The Doll Series" (solo), Rockland, ME
Elements Gallery "Dogs In Cars" (solo), Rockland, ME
Maine Coast Artists: “After Dark”, Rockport, ME
The Frankfurt Airport: “First Designer’s Avenue”, Frankfurt, Germany
1997 Creative Photographic Arts Center: “Photographs 1992-1997” (solo), Lewiston, ME
A.I.R. Gallery Invitational: “Generations” , New York, NY
Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen, Hamilton: “Emerging Artists” (2 person), New York, NY
1996 Sylvia White Gallery: “The Horse Show” (juried), Los Angeles, CA
Danforth Gallery: “Visions of the Mind” (juried), Portland, ME
1995 Gallery 2/20: “Work in Progress”, New York, NY
1994 Casa Italiana/NYU :(solo), NYC,NY
Galleria Il Diaframma/ Kodak Cultura : “Foto Colorate” (5 person), Milan, Italy
1993 Nuova Libreria Galileo & Studio Poletto (solo), Mestre, Italy
1992 Artemare 1992: “L’uomo e il Mare”, Riposto, Italy
1990 Michael Thompson Gallery, San Francisco, CA
UC Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
1987 Hampshire College (solo), Amherst, MA
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2020 Being Here: Marcie Jan Bronstein, Watercolor Paintings, catalogue, Zillman Art Museum
2019 ArtMaze Contemporary Art: featured artist, Summer, Issue 13
2018 Decor Maine: featured artist
Your Impossible Voice Literary Journal: cover painting, Winter Issue
2017 Portland Press Herald: feature article, Portland, ME
Yale University, Perch Arts & Literary Journal: 2 paintings, New Haven, CT
New England Review: cover painting, Middlebury, VT
Maine Home and Design: Maine Artists To Watch, Portland, ME
Princeton Art Brushes: Artist Spotlight
2016 Art Revealed Magazine: portfolio and interview, London, UK
2015 After The Pause Poetry Journal: featured portfolio of paintings
2008 The Maine Sunday Telegram: featured author, Portland, ME
2004 Exploring Color Photography: feature • McGraw Hill Publishers, New York, NY
2003 Non Satis Scire: Hampshire College Magazine: cover + portfolio feature, Amherst, MA
2001 Object Lessons: Beauty and Meaning in Art, Madison, WI
1998 The Free Press: “Two Artists in a Barn...”, Rockland, ME
1997 The Maine Sunday Telegram: review of solo exhibition, Portland, ME
1994 Creativity: “And then there was NON...”, New York, NY
ZOOM: “Al Diaframma” , Milan, Italy
1993 Il Gazzetino:”Un’americana che dipinge le foto” (review), Venice, Italy
Il Gazzetino: Musica & fotografia (review), Mestre, Italy
Progresso Fotografico (portfolio), Milan, Italy
1992 La Nazione, Florence, Italy
PUBLIC ART / COMMISSIONS / GRANTS
2005 Bellevue Hospital: 250 photographs for new hospital wing, New York, NY
2005 ME Arts Commission: Good Idea Grant, Augusta, Maine
2004 Public Percent-for-Art Program: 30’ x 15’ installation, Belfast, ME
2002 Public Percent-for-Art Program: 24 works, Denver, CO
1994 Saks Fifth Avenue: art in Fifth Avenue windows, New York, NY
1990 Neiman Marcus: art in windows, San Francisco, CA
RESIDENCIES
2018 Millay Colony, (Full Fellowship), Austerlitz, NY
1986 Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY
1985 Vermont Studio School, Johnson, VT
EDUCATION
1992 Lorenzo de Medici: Diploma Magister Linguae: Italian language, Florence, Italy
1988 Hampshire College: BFA, Amherst, MA
1986 Fashion Institute of Technology: AAS, Magna Cum Laude, New York, NY
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2020 Zillman Art Museum, University of Maine: "Being Here" (solo show), Bangor, ME
Penobscot Marine Museum: "Penobscot Bay as Muse" (invitational), Searsport, ME
2018 Center for Maine Contemporary Art Biennial Exhibition, (juried) Rockland, ME
2017 The Annex Art Center, (invitational) Castine, ME
2014 Photographic Resource Center: Flash Forward Festival,(invitational) Boston, MA
Slocumb Gallery: “Positive/Negative: Pages”, (juried) Johnson City, TN
2013 New England Photography Biennial, (invitational) Framingham, MA
Aarhus Gallery: “Infinite Horizons”, (invitational) Belfast, ME
2012 Parallax, The Women’s Photography Exhibition , (invitational) Notre Dame U, MD
2009 ME Museum of Photographic Art: Capture: 50 Photographic Artists, Falmouth, ME
2007 Center for Maine Contemporary Art: “Altered Nature” (invitational), Rockport, ME
Elan Fine Arts: gallery artist, Rockport, ME
2006 Photomedia Center: “Illuminating the Negative” (solo), Erie, PA
2005 Elan Fine Arts: gallery artist, Rockport, ME
Blum Gallery, College of the Atlantic: “Portrait/Self Portrait” (juried), Bar Harbor, ME
Center for Maine Contemporary Art: “Winter in Maine” (juried), Rockport, ME
2002 Center for Maine Contemporary Art: “Plugged In” (juried), Rockport, ME
2002 Elements Gallery: gallery artist, Rockland, ME
2001 LSU: “Works On Paper 2001” (prize Winner- juried), Baton Rouge, LA
1999 Elements Gallery "The Doll Series" (solo), Rockland, ME
Elements Gallery "Dogs In Cars" (solo), Rockland, ME
Maine Coast Artists: “After Dark”, Rockport, ME
The Frankfurt Airport: “First Designer’s Avenue”, Frankfurt, Germany
1997 Creative Photographic Arts Center: “Photographs 1992-1997” (solo), Lewiston, ME
A.I.R. Gallery Invitational: “Generations” , New York, NY
Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen, Hamilton: “Emerging Artists” (2 person), New York, NY
1996 Sylvia White Gallery: “The Horse Show” (juried), Los Angeles, CA
Danforth Gallery: “Visions of the Mind” (juried), Portland, ME
1995 Gallery 2/20: “Work in Progress”, New York, NY
1994 Casa Italiana/NYU :(solo), NYC,NY
Galleria Il Diaframma/ Kodak Cultura : “Foto Colorate” (5 person), Milan, Italy
1993 Nuova Libreria Galileo & Studio Poletto (solo), Mestre, Italy
1992 Artemare 1992: “L’uomo e il Mare”, Riposto, Italy
1990 Michael Thompson Gallery, San Francisco, CA
UC Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
1987 Hampshire College (solo), Amherst, MA
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2020 Being Here: Marcie Jan Bronstein, Watercolor Paintings, catalogue, Zillman Art Museum
2019 ArtMaze Contemporary Art: featured artist, Summer, Issue 13
2018 Decor Maine: featured artist
Your Impossible Voice Literary Journal: cover painting, Winter Issue
2017 Portland Press Herald: feature article, Portland, ME
Yale University, Perch Arts & Literary Journal: 2 paintings, New Haven, CT
New England Review: cover painting, Middlebury, VT
Maine Home and Design: Maine Artists To Watch, Portland, ME
Princeton Art Brushes: Artist Spotlight
2016 Art Revealed Magazine: portfolio and interview, London, UK
2015 After The Pause Poetry Journal: featured portfolio of paintings
2008 The Maine Sunday Telegram: featured author, Portland, ME
2004 Exploring Color Photography: feature • McGraw Hill Publishers, New York, NY
2003 Non Satis Scire: Hampshire College Magazine: cover + portfolio feature, Amherst, MA
2001 Object Lessons: Beauty and Meaning in Art, Madison, WI
1998 The Free Press: “Two Artists in a Barn...”, Rockland, ME
1997 The Maine Sunday Telegram: review of solo exhibition, Portland, ME
1994 Creativity: “And then there was NON...”, New York, NY
ZOOM: “Al Diaframma” , Milan, Italy
1993 Il Gazzetino:”Un’americana che dipinge le foto” (review), Venice, Italy
Il Gazzetino: Musica & fotografia (review), Mestre, Italy
Progresso Fotografico (portfolio), Milan, Italy
1992 La Nazione, Florence, Italy
PUBLIC ART / COMMISSIONS / GRANTS
2005 Bellevue Hospital: 250 photographs for new hospital wing, New York, NY
2005 ME Arts Commission: Good Idea Grant, Augusta, Maine
2004 Public Percent-for-Art Program: 30’ x 15’ installation, Belfast, ME
2002 Public Percent-for-Art Program: 24 works, Denver, CO
1994 Saks Fifth Avenue: art in Fifth Avenue windows, New York, NY
1990 Neiman Marcus: art in windows, San Francisco, CA
RESIDENCIES
2018 Millay Colony, (Full Fellowship), Austerlitz, NY
1986 Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY
1985 Vermont Studio School, Johnson, VT